Everything I Thought Was True, Wasn't True At All
by Secret Musings
Summary: Jacob's memories of Bella fade away as time passes. The pack ends up on a journey no one saw coming. Will it change them for the better? Bring new starts to those who long for them? *Not a typical story* Jake/OC & some other pairings differ from the book
1. Memories Grow Distant

Author's Note: Hey chicas! I've got a new idea for a story line that I've been working on. Mainly wolf pack and only a little of the Cullens so far. If you're tired of reading about Jacob with a broken heart being trapped in a pit of angst this might just be the story for you! There will also be some adventure in this one I think and one very hot Jacob Black finding his way to his own way to a happy ending, but nothing like what I've read anywhere else. I hope a lot of you will enjoy reading something a little different. Reviews are like fuel for my pen and my muse, so make sure and make your voices heard!

P.S. Paul hasn't imprinted on Rachel (don't know if he will or not) and our sweetie Jacob won't be imprinting on Bella and Edward's offspring. Just fyi, so you know. Btw, I would love to hear your ideas on who else I can match Paul with and if you'd like to see him written with a bigger role to play in the pack. I really like toying with his character, but I'd like to know what my lovely readers think. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to leave comments in the review section. Now, enough of my rambling. I'll shut up so you can read. Hope you enjoy it!

~Memories Grow Distant~

As Jacob's paws hit the edge of the clearing around his house, he went behind an evergreen tree and phased back into his human form. As he pulled on his denim cutoff shorts, he smiled to himself feeling his tight, hot muscles begin to cool down. Cool down wasn't the best way to describe it, after all he was a wolf and his body temperature never dipped anywhere that of a human's.

Today's patrol hadn't turned up any trouble so Jacob and Paul had spent most of the day challenging each other to stave off the unrelenting boredom. Thinking about Paul, Jacob came to the conclusion that he would probably have been a worthy opponent if he would've just been able to garner some self control. Jacob shook his head at the thought. He didn't see Paul being capable of that anytime soon. Jacob and Paul knew that the shouldn't have been messing around playing games against each other. When Sam found out the next time either one of them phased, they would be in for a strong scolding from the Alpha leader. He snorted at the idea when it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

When Bella was around, around meaning not in love with that prissy leech, Edward, Jacob had the option of taking his rightful place as the Alpha wolf of the Quileute wolf pack, but had rejected the idea. He had been in love with Bella and thought that the deep love he had took priority over becoming a monster, so when he had eventually phased after he found out about Bella and her involvement with Edward, he made every effort to keep as many human traits as he could. That meant not really getting involved in wolf pack life. Only phasing when he absolutely had to. Letting Sam keep on being the Alpha. He hadn't cared at the time because he thought it would only increase his chances of winning over Bella's affections.

Jacob turned the knob and opened the front door, walking into the kitchen. His father, Billy, wasn't home. In a way, Jacob was thankful because he would have the opportunity to be left alone with just his thoughts without being interrupted or questioned. He bent down as he opened the cold refrigerator door and reached in to pull out a carton of orange juice grimacing as his thoughts centered in on Bella. The wedding between her and that pathetic excuse for a lover had been months ago. Each day it got easier to breath again, but the ache Jacob felt still wasn't completely gone.

He remembered his plea right before she hit him for kissing her. He remembered looking deep into her eyes, stating his case. "You wouldn't have to change for me, Bella, or say goodbye to anybody. I can give you more than him." He remembered growing frustrated at not getting through to her and spatting out, "I mean, he probably can't even kiss you without hurting you." Then, reining himself in, he remembered bringing Bella's small hand into his larger, warm hand and holding it to rest over his heart, he continued his plea, "Feel that? Flesh and blood and warmth." Emotion raw in his voice. It hadn't been enough to convince her. He put the carton up to his mouth and took a long drink almost drinking half the carton at once.

Setting it down on the small breakfast table in the kitchen, he turned to walk down the short hallway into the bathroom. The anger and hurt was welling up inside of him as he thought more of how much he missed her. He turned on the water and took off his shorts, he hit the wall weakly, feeling frustrated with his emotions. During the weeks that followed after he first phased into a wolf, his reactions to any emotion he was feeling had been difficult to control even when he was human. He had damaged stuff around his family's home and was just grateful that his father was understanding through it all. Now that he was capable of controlling himself, it just changed how he let his feelings out, not how strong and powerful they were to him. And even though he had just punched the wall with strength that was more comparable to a human's strength, it felt good to turn his feelings into something physical. It made them more real.

Jacob stepped into the shower that now seemed to small to accommodate his broad, tall frame. His muscles melted into mush as he moved his head to let the water run down his face and make it's way to the drain, running in little trails down every inch of his body. His eyes squeezed shut in a vain attempt to banish the thoughts he had thought he wanted to go through. He had been feeling more and more better since Edward and Bella left for their honeymoon. He occasionally got a chance to see his situation from the perspectives of his wolf brothers and that had helped him to start the process of moving on. He thought about losing her a lot at first. It had bugged him that he wasn't just losing his best friend, but he was losing Bella in a romantic sense and a mortal one. He started to shake just thinking about it. He took in a deep breath as he worked the shampoo through his short, black hair trying to stay calm.

Even though he was relieved to finally feel somewhat alive again, he was afraid in a way...afraid of losing her permanently. His mind quickly rushed in and told his heart he had lost Bella a long time ago. Hell, maybe he even lost her before the wedding. He shook the thoughts any splashing droplets of water on the shower walls and focused on pushing the offending thoughts out of his mind until all he felt was blank. Exhaustion crept in and Jacob quickly stepped out of the shower, using a towel to pat his body dry as he walked across the hall to his small room. It was already close to spring and his wolf sensed the slight change in temperature. Opening the top drawer of his dresser, he pulled out some boxer briefs and pulled them up over his strong legs to rest at his waist. Yanking back just a sheet, he laid down on the bed, covering himself with the sheet and letting sleep overtake him.


	2. To Battle Once More

I awoke to the sound of Sam howling off in the distance. Rolling my eyes and sighing, I resigned myself to the fact that I had to get out of bed. It wasn't even much of a choice at this point. My duty to the pack calls and I have to respond. I got up from my bed and thought about throwing on a t-shirt, but decided against it because there really was no point. I walked down the hall into my living room. My dad was sitting in his wheelchair watching some television while reading the newspaper.

"Hey, Jake, there's going to be a meeting this evening. Tell Sam I want the entire pack to be there." Billy said to me.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself in check. It irritated me that when it came to the wolf pack, I didn't have a choice when I was told to do something. It was as if my free will had been eviscerated the moment I phased into the monster I was destined to become.

"Ok dad, when and where?"

"At the wolf den, seven o'clock."

"K, I'll let Sam know." I said moving towards the front door.

"And Jake, I know this isn't an easy time for you, but I hope you will represent our ancestors and our tribe well. Please, keep that in mind when you are at the meeting tonight, son, for me."

I looked done and forced myself to nod my head. "Ok dad, I'll try." I spoke even though it was clear to both him and me that if I wasn't tied into this by blood, I wouldn't uphold this supposed duty. I looked into his eyes and saw love mixed with sadness or maybe it was disappointment. I hated that I couldn't be true to myself and make everyone happy. Why was I so conflicted. I pressed my lips together and gave my father a close-mouthed smile.

"So, I should probably go. Sam was howling, so I need to see what's going on."

"Ok Jake, I'll see you tonight then?" He was still checking to see if I was going to show up or if I was lying.

"Ya dad, I will." My words came out roughly, like molasses was coating my vocal chords.

"I'll see ya later."

I walked out onto the porch and broke into a sprint as I headed to the edge of the clearing where our property met the woods. Sam let out another howl, this one more urgent and demanding than the last. It was probably a warning for those of us who were moving too slow or hadn't heeded his first call. I phased before I got the the bank of trees and ran in the direction Sam's howl had come from. I was in a dead run and knew I would be there in no time, but sent him a message through our link to let him know I was coming. As soon as I sent the thought his way and heard him acknowledge it, I heard another set of paws coming up on my right. I didn't even have to look behind me to know that it was Leah. After all, she was one of the only wolves in the pack that could come close to matching my speed and agility.

"_Hey Leah."_

"_Afternoon Jake." She said as I slowed down so she could catch up with me._

"_Wait, it's afternoon?"_

"_Yes, Jake, now come on, Sam's going to get impatient." She said this with a wolfish smile, her tongue wagging to the side._

"_Leah, what day is it?" Slowing a little in my confusion._

"_Tuesday! Now stop with the stupid questions and move it!" She seemed to realize something. "Wait, why are you so confused about what day it is?"_

_I swallowed knowing if I lied Leah would see right through it. "I might have gotten a little upset when I got home from patrols with Paul."_

"_Oh, good grief Jacob, please tell me you weren't thinking about that idiot again."_

"_She's not an idiot Leah." I growled out._

"_Hey, don't get mad at me Jake. You're the one that's letting her ruin your life with her decisions. I'm surprised that you've backslid though. I'm not going to lie."_

"_I haven't backslid Leah, I was just trying to think about her to move forward more. Away from the idea of her. She's not an idiot, just misguided...She thinks what she did was right, they're fated to be together."_

_I heard Leah beside me as she snorted in disgust. "You say misguided, I say crazy. You know you can talk to me if you need to right?" _

"_Ya, I've just got a lot on my mind right now." She didn't respond, because she didn't need to. _

Over the last couple of months, Leah Clearwater and I had grown closer than I ever could've imagined. She was the one person that understood the roller coaster of emotions that overtakes you when you've lost someone you love to someone else, especially when you don't think that someone else is right for the person. It helped that she didn't just tell me to get over Bella right away. She had let me wallow, she had been there when that pendulum swung into anger. Never questioning, always listening.

It had surprised her as much as it did me. I mean who would've guessed that it would just take us having one thing in common to forge a friendship? Before we had become friends, I had always thought of Leah as this angry, bitter person that would never be happy. that would forever be pushing people away, clinging to the hurt of losing Sam. I'm not going to lie, I honestly thought she was a bitch. I felt bad at first, thinking that about her, but when you try to being civil with someone and all they do is respond with hatred, what was there really left to think?

All of that changed when Bella married Edward. Suddenly, I saw what caused her to become the way she was. During the last couple of months Leah had mellowed out somewhat. If she had been boiling with anger before, she had now reduced her emotions to just a simmer. The same thing had happened to me.

I think we had our friendship to thank for that. We were there to help each other heal, learn how to feel again. I only wished I had been there for Leah sooner. She had to go for a long time being alone and misunderstood. It didn't help that she was the only female who had phased. I still can't imagine what it was like for her to submit to Sam. If it weren't for the pack and being a wolf, Leaf probably would've avoided being around Sam and Emily. She might have had an easier time moving on.

_We reached the rest of the pack and slowed to a stop. "What's up Sam?" I asked._

"_Ya, what's going on?" Leah followed up._

"_There's an army of vampires being built by the Volturri. Carlisle told me about it this morning." Sam answered sounding both worried and angry at the same time. _

"_What?" I spat out. "Why the hell would the Volturri be building an army?"_

_Sam shook his head. "Carlisle isn't sure. Alice happened to see it in one of her visions, but the weird part is, she doesn't think she was meant to." He waited in order to let the pack process the troublesome information and then started to talk again. "Carlisle thinks since the Volturri didn't mean for Alice to see, he and his family must have something to do with it. An attack, maybe, he's not sure yet. None of them are."_

"_Well, what does that have to do with us? It sounds to me like the Volturri are after the Cullens, not our tribe." Paul growled, just as angry as most of the wolves were. _

"_Paul, you know we have an agreement with the Cullen family. Our pack has banded together with the Cullens before in order to fight for the common good. This time is no different."_

_Now it was Leah's turn to growl as she snarled in frustration. "Sam, I can't believe you are even considering having us help them. During the last battle with those newborn freaks, we helped them even though they weren't out to harm anyone on the reservation."_

Sam's hackles were raised as he moved to stare down into Leah's eyes. I admired her as she stared up at the Alpha leader with no fear in her eyes. Before Sam could respond, I jumped in to speak.

"_She does have a point Sam. Why are we fighting when this has nothing to do with us? The Cullens seem to have a knack for getting themselves in trouble, making enemies. Why should our pack have to pay for that?"_

I could see Sam thinking, but it was clear to me and everyone else that as much as he hated the Cullens for what they were, he had already decided that we were going to help them defend themselves against whatever crazed scheme the Volturri were planning.

"_I can't believe this!" Embry coughed out, outraged, but weak sounding. _

Given his position in our pack along with his bloodline, he didn't have as much strength to stand up to Sam and let his feelings be heard. But as for me and Leah, we had plenty of strength and wear with all to stand up to him, even though Sam did have the ability to command us to fall in line and to whatever he decided. It still meant something to at least speak out in opposition to his decision. Maybe it would cause him to change his mind, cause him to rethink our pack's place in all of this.

"_Jake, please don't question me...this is what I feel we have to do."_

_I growled at Sam feeling enraged. "They got themselves into this mess, let them dig themselves out. We shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes. Are you so weak that you couldn't tell them no!" I didn't mean the last part, but with my temper flaring along with the rest of the wolves' tempers, I said it. As soon as the words came out, I regretted them, knowing what they would force Sam to do. _

"_You will not question this, any of you! The decision is final!" The tone of Sam's voice had changed to the double timbre of the Alpha command. _

Sam used it so rarely that I for a few seconds, I didn't truly believe the command had come from him. The packs protests were instantly subdued and in their place was a forced allegiance to what Sam willed. Most of the other wolves postures had changed to submissive positions and some of the newer wolves even laid down under the sheer weight of our alpha's command. I could still feel Leah by my side. I could tell she was in the same state of shock and anger I was. I could sense that even though we both obeyed the command, neither one of us was happy about it.

Deep amongst the urge to surrender to the almighty Alpha, I felt something else. Something I couldn't quite identify. It was like a small part of me was refusing to bow to Sam, but wasn't strong enough to overrule the rest of my spirit and break through. I wondered silently to myself if any of my brothers felt the same small part of them trying to fight its way out to the surface because Sam's decision seemed so wrong. I looked to Leah, to see if I could see any sign that she was feeling the same thing I was. If she was, she showed no sign of it. I could only hope that my thoughts were disguised as well.

"_Ok, all of you head back to my house. We need to prepare." _

Nobody had it in them to do anything other than follow Sam's lead. Sam rushed ahead quickly and started in the direction of his house with the younger members of the pack following closely on his heels. I huffed out my frustration once there was some distance between us and began slowly making my way to Sam's house with Leah and Paul nearby.

_I heard Paul grunt through our link. "I can't believe he's getting us into this. It isn't our fight. This bites!" Leah joined in, "Ya, it does! He's making a big mistake! What the hell is he thinking!"_

I shook my head and lowered my muzzle so I wasn't looking straight ahead. I was trying to pretend I wasn't going to Sam and Emily's house. To trick myself into believing that the three of us were taking a jog somewhere, not worrying about anything, just out to have fun together. It didn't work very well. When I returned my stare to the path ahead of me, I was still headed in the direction of their house.

"_I don't know why he made this decision, but the elders are having a meeting tonight and they want the pack there. Maybe they'll be able to make Sam see reason." _

I heard them both utter maybe in reply and we were soon in front of Sam and Emily's house. We phased back into our human forms and begrudgingly pulled on the clothes that had been tied to our legs. I walked up the porch stairs and went into the house to give Sam my father's message.


	3. Council Meetings, My Favorite!

**Council Meetings, My Favorite!**

~Later that evening~

My car rolled to a stop in front of the wolf den. The wolf den was the place we used for our meetings and bonfires when the weather made it unpleasant to be outside. This was especially true during the cold winter months. It was difficult to converse with our elders, who are human, when they're sitting around a bonfire, in the middle of a storm, freezing. We had tried it a couple of times before and it never ended well. Hence, why the tribal council had called the meeting here. Carrie Ateara was Quil's grandmother and she owned the resort where the wolf den was located. She knew about the tribe's shapeshifters, so she usually knew about our meetings with the tribal council as well. I guess you could say she's sort of a consultant to both the council and the wolf pack. It makes sense, I mean, she's older than even the most senior member of the council and well-versed in tribal matters. I respect her and like her for her spunk. She may be elderly, but she's not a withering flower in any way. I chuckled quietly to myself as I killed the engine and opened the car door to step out into the cold. At least Carrie has a track record for making these unbearable meetings entertaining. I looked around the parking lot to see who else had arrived and was surprised to see some cars I didn't recognize. I saw Paul walking up from the beach and knew his feelings about this meeting and Sam's decision were similar to mine. At least I wasn't alone in how I was feeling.

"Hey Jake!" Paul greeted me. My wolf senses told me that Paul was tense and trying to keep his temper at bay. It was probably the reason he had walked here instead of driving like most of the rest of us had.

I lifted my chin slightly in response and said, "Are you as ready for this as I am?"

"Oh ya! Just like I'm always on pins and needles waiting for a root canal," Paul said as he finished with a bark of a laugh.

"Right, I guess you are," I said with a toothy grin.

"Ya I am. I just hope the council will forbid Sam from helping those leeches. Do you know why they called the meeting?"

I saw Paul's eyes move to look behind me and felt a pair of hands grab my shoulders playfully while their owner tried to stifle a laugh. I twisted to my right knowing I would see Seth and as soon as I made eye contact with him I got quick revenge. I bent down with quick speed and grabbed his leg bringing it up towards my stomach and felt him grab at my back where ever he could. Paul had busted up laughing at our playful antics. Seth was a newer member of the pack and was like a young, excited puppy. I moved one of my feet to sweep his foot that had remained on the ground and watched as he toppled towards the ground. I kept my hold on Seth and caught him just before his rump made contact with the hard cement, sitting him down gently before offering my hand to help him stand. He laughed and shoved my shoulder with his. Paul reached out and lightly punched Seth's shoulder.

"Silly pup," He said with an amused tone.

"So, is everyone inside yet?" Seth was positively buzzing with his excitement. Paul and I just rolled our eyes at Seth's youthful exuberance.

"Yup, they probably are. Why don't you go inside, we'll be inside in a minute," I told him.

"Ya, go ahead, we're just going to wait out here for your sister to come," Paul seconded.

"Ok, she's not here yet?"

"No, she's just as excited as we are to go to this meeting," I sighed.

"Ok, well, umm, I guess I'll just save you all some seats," Seth replied nervously as he opened the door to go in.

It had been this way since Seth phased and joined the La Push wolf pack. Because Leah was his sister he hung out with those of us who were closer to her than the others. After Bella and Edward left to go on their honeymoon, I had been the only one to get close to Leah and closer to Seth in turn. Paul got closer to us as his feelings about some of Sam's decisions and pack life in general came closer to matching mine and Leah's. Seth was just part of the Leah package. I think he liked hanging around us though. Like maybe he looked up to me or Paul like he had looked up to Leah all of his life.

Paul and I waited in a comfortable silence for Leah to show up. I think she hated these meetings the most out of the three of us because it put her in the awkward position of having to obey Sam publicly. It was easier when she had to interact with Sam if it was only us wolves because we had seen both their perspectives and she didn't feel quite as misunderstood in that situation. Having to do it in front of the elders though was much more hurtful. The elders knew about how much Sam and Leah had meant to each other when they were together. For a time, they even thought there was a possibility of marriage, but that all changed when Sam imprinted on Emily. The elders had watched as Sam and Emily grew closer while Leah became embittered with heartbreak and misunderstood by nearly everyone involved. The shared pack mind, however, allowed us to see how both Sam and Leah felt. None of us took a side because we knew there was no point in taking a side when the fates were involved. Leah may have driven most of us crazy with her feelings, but deep down I think we all knew she was justified in how she felt. I'm just thankful she didn't imprint on Sam. That would've really complicated things. I smiled as I saw Leah walking across the parking lot from her car.

"Hey Lee, how're you doing?" I asked her pulling her into a quick hug.

"I'm doing okay, I just want to get in there so they can start this meeting and get it over with."

We parted and Leah nodded hello to Paul.

"What's up, Leah?" He said. Leah just rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey, did you guys notice the different cars?" She said, looking over at the side of the parking lot where most of the mystery cars were.

"Ya, not sure who they belong to, but I'm pretty sure they don't belong to any of the guest at the resort," Paul reasoned, looking over at me to see what I thought.

"I'm guessing we're going to find out about it in the meeting," I offered my theory to both of them.

Leah bit out a tight lipped, "Great," before she started towards the entrance. "C'mon boys, let's get in there."

Paul and I followed her lead. "You want to go for a run after this?" I said to no one in particular.

"Ya, we'll probably need it after this is over," Leah sighed.

"I'm in," Paul mumbled quietly as we walked into the room and looked around to find Seth. In all his eagerness to get seats and be ready for the meeting, it looked like he had skipped out on the food table. I shook my head at his innocence. Leah walked over and sat down in the seat next to him, lovingly ruffling his hair. Paul and I joined them and I began to look around the room. My father caught my gaze and smiled proudly, clearly happy that I had decided to attend. I smiled back at him before continuing to survey the room and my eyes feel on a group of people I didn't recognize. They were sitting together seemingly as a unit and I thought to myself that not all people have to be wolves to move as a pack which was what they reminded me of. Carrie walked up behind me and leaned down to whisper quietly in my ear.

"I see you've noticed them, my Jacob," Carrie said with a knowing tone. For some reason my pulse felt like it was increasing and I sensed an energy I hadn't felt ever before as I continued to look at the group of people. My eyes flicked up to meet hers as she spoke. "Ah, I see their presence has sent your alpha spirit into a frenzy. What do you sense child?" She asked me, but I could tell by the way she grinned as she spoke that she had an idea of what was going through my head. My eyes whipped back to where the group was when I felt the energy strengthen. It felt as if I would burst if I didn't figure out what this feeling was. I struggled to sit still and stay calm amid my pack mates. They seemed to be around our age, though some of them looked closer to their mid 20's which made just about half of them closer to Sam's age. Other than them reminding me of a pack there was nothing unusual about them. They were Native American like we were and the elders had obviously brought them here from a different tribe. They definitely weren't from the Makah tribe whose reservation was close to ours. No, they seemed like they were from somewhere farther away. And yet, I had this inkling that we had been around each other before. Carrie must have realized I was entranced because she finally gave up talking and shuffled away tittering quietly with laughter. I felt a jab in my side and glanced over at Paul giving him an annoyed look.

"Dude, Jake you just ignored Carrie so bad that she walked away! What's your deal man?" He was smirking at me.

"Have you even noticed those people over there?" My question gave him a clue as to 'what my deal was.'

"Ya, just now. So why do you think they're here?"

"I don't really know, but I think things are about to get interesting." I watched as Paul got the attention of Leah and Seth who were just as curious as I was.

"Very interesting indeed, some of those girls are hot!" Clearly Paul wasn't taking them being there to heart as much as I was. He seemed elated at the prospect of new women on the reservation. I suppose I would be excited too if I had his flirting skills. I'm not a disaster when it comes to women, but my swagger doesn't come close to matching Paul's. Leah reached across Seth to smack Paul's arm.

"That's so typical. We have new people at our meeting and all you can think about is the ladies?" Leah began to chuckle sarcastically, "Why am I not surprised?"

Paul seemed to react to her comment half-hurt and half-amused, as if the thread of truth that weaved through her remark stung a little. Paul may have acted tough, but deep down I think he wanted someone to call his own as much as Leah and I did. Paul had never admitted this to any of us, but I just got this vibe from him sometimes that made me believe it might be true.

"Well Leah, not all of us want to close ourselves off from the possibilities like you do. You just gotta live and let live." Paul had put his guard up in response to Leah's veiled criticism. He reached a hand up to his shoulder to pinch his shirt and flick it away while Leah just rolled her eyes. "Come on Lee, don't hate the player, h-"

Just then, Leah's hand shot out to stop Paul from finishing his sentence. "Don't you dare." She watched Paul's reaction to her hand on his mouth. "If you finish that sentence, I can guarantee I'll make you sorry."

"Well if you're not going to let me appreciate the view, what am I supposed to do? Kiss you?" His features filled with mischief and flirtatiousness as he kissed her hand. I don't know if he has a death wish, but I wouldn't test Leah if my life depended on it. "Like this?" He kissed her hand again. It took Leah a second or two to react before she drop her hand back into her lap. "Really Paul, you're so immature." Paul just sat in his chair wearing a satisfied smirk. "You know you like it, otherwise you wouldn't care if I was interested in the girls over there."

Leah scuffed, "You wish, Paul, you wish."

Seth looked over at me and wiggled his eyebrows. I smiled back having a pretty good idea of what he was about to say.

"So umm, do you guys want me to move so you can continue flirting more privately?" He was trying to sound innocent and naive, but it wasn't working.

"We're not flirting!" Paul and Leah snapped in unison.

I decided to jump on Seth's bandwagon and said, "Really? Then what was it you were doing?"

As I finished I heard my father clear his throat and begin talking. I crossed my arms and leaned back into my chair wearing a victorious grin on my face, happy that neither one of them could respond. I could hear them grumble as they gave up and shifted their attention to Billy.

"Welcome everyone, we have gathered you all here today because there is something happening that stands to become a threat to the people of our tribe. The cold ones have a leadership council in Italy as some of you may know. They call themselves the Volturri. Our wolf pack has been informed of a possible attack they might be planning." He stopped talking and looked over to where Sam was sitting. "Sam, please come up here and explain."

Sam nodded obediently and walked up to the front of the crowd. Sam recounted what he had told us in the woods earlier today. As he concluded his little information speech, I could feel the mood in the room change. Tension and anger begin to stir inside of my body as Carrie went to stand next to Sam.

"Because of the treaty our ancestors made with the Cullen family long ago, we must aid them in this battle." I had sat up from my relaxed position and was just about to stand up to voice my protest when someone from the mysterious group beat me to it. I looked over at the person who stood and saw a woman. She stood amongst the rest of the group waiting for permission to speak. My heart was banging inside my chest making threats to break out if I didn't do whatever it wanted. I didn't know exactly what it wanted, but what I did know was that I felt drawn towards the group or maybe it was the woman I was drawn to. I saw Carrie tilt her head and extend her small arm towards the woman inviting her to speak.

"I'm sorry, but what was the treaty your ancestors made with a family of cold ones?"

Carrie nudged Sam to signal him to explain. "There is a family of cold ones that has lived nearby since the first spirit warrior shifted into his true form. They are called the Cullens. When the wolf pack found them hunting on our land and wanted to attack the Cullens..." He went on repeating the same story we had all had drilled into our heads. I crossed my arms and fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"I understand that you have a treaty with them, but why would you help them if there's no real threat to your tribe. It sounds like the Volturri are after the Cullen family, not anyone else."

Sam stole a glance in my direction as he heard the woman voice the same concerns we had. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling as we made eye contact. Ha! See Sam, I'm not the only one who thinks you're out of your mind, there are even people outside the pack who agree.

My dad chose this moment to speak. "Sure, the Volturri may not be after anyone in our tribe, but they are not like the Cullens who only feed on animals and do not cause violence. The Volturri will hunt while they are here and they will not respect the treaty line. We risk having them hunt our people on our land."

"I guess I can see your point Billy. I know you and the rest of council members invited us here so we could help your wolf pack train. I have decided to honor your request, nut please understand that I do it with caution."

When she said that Paul leaned over the whisper in my ear. "How the heck would they be able to teach us anything?" I shrugged and my breath caught my throat as the girl turned to look in our direction. Did what I thought just happen really happen?


End file.
